Style of writing
Part of you exam question asks you to focus on the style of writing used by the author, Andre Agassi, in “Open”.
Agassi’s style of writing is reader-friendly because he does not use a complicated vocabulary, and because the story is rendered from his perspective as a child: “I’m only eight…” (l. 27).…
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Tense of verbs and point of view
The fact that past events are conveyed in the present tense further increases the child narrator's authenticity, and it transports readers to the time of the events, making it easier for them to empathize with the narrator.
The perspective of a child-narrat…
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Irony and humor
The author’s style of writing is also characterized by the use of irony and humor which are always appealing to readers. Here is…
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Pathos
The story is also quite dramatic. The author appeals to the readers’ feelings through the use of pathos (emotional language) when the narrator describes the way he felt after b…
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Repetition
Repetition is used by the author to add emphasis to his message or to convey the way characters talk. Here are two such examples: “Hit harder, my father says. Goddamn i…
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Similes and metaphors
A couple of similes and metaphors help the author convey more appealing images about the action and the characters. For instance, the machine throwing the tennis balls is called meta…
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Rhetorical questions
Rhetorical questions help convey the thoughts and dilemmas of the child-narrator:
“…How can you be sick about not being home?…
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Contrasts
Contrasts are used to describe Andre’s father and uncle in opposition, to make readers understand why Andre becomes so fond of his uncle: “He’s the mirror image of my father, but his personality is the exact opposite. My father is shrill and stern and …
